October is Non-GMO Month!

There is more to celebrate in the Month of October than ghouls, goblins, pumpkins, and candy. October is also known as Non-GMO month! Bakery on Main is proud to be a trusted Non-GMO Project Verified Company, ensuring all of our products follow the quality and standards that the Non-GMO Project requires for verification. The month of October celebrates an opportunity to educate people on exactly what ‘Non-GMO’ means. Through gained awareness on this topic, it gives everyone the freedom to celebrate their right to choose Non-GMO products for themselves and their families.

GMO stands for ‘genetically modified organisms’ and refers to any organism whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory environment through the use of genetic engineering. This process involves removing or altering the genes of a species in order to obtain a desired trait or characteristic. What does this mean for you and your family? This means that many of the foods you buy or the ingredients used in them were not naturally grown but created so that the crops can yield a higher, more efficient product.

Many of these modifications include making various crops able to withstand certain herbicides such as Roundup (also known as Roundup Ready crops) and some crops being designed to be able to produce their own pesticide or insecticide. As a result of the use of the weed killer Roundup, these Roundup Ready crops have shown residues of a synthetic compound called Glyphosate that CANNOT be washed off as the compound has become actively integrated directly into the each cell of the plant!

Some of the most common GMOs include:

Soybeans

Corn

Cotton

Canola

Sugar beets

Hawaiian papaya

Alfalfa

Yellow squash

Zucchini

…among others

They can also be present in common processed food ingredients such as:

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Citric Acid

Sucrose

Vitamins

Yeast Products

…among others

So how can you avoid GMOs? By finding food products that are considered to be Non-Genetically Modified through looking for the ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ seal on the products you purchase.

The Non-GMO Project was started based on the belief that consumers should have the ability to choose their food and products based on access to clear ‘Non-GMO’ labeling. Products that are Non-GMO Project Verified have gone through a rigorous verification process to assure that they have been produced according to best practices for GMO avoidance. A company’s verification is maintained through yearly audits and onsite inspections. This ensures that a company is consistently complying with the standards that gained them their Non-GMO Project Verification in the first place.

There are numerous resources to find more information about GMOs, their health risks, the link between glyphosate and cancer and to harm done to beneficial gut bacteria, how companies can become Non-GMO Project Verified, and where you can find non-GMO verified products and participating retailers. Make sure this October you stand up for your right to know what’s in the food you’re eating and to choose Non-GMO!